I did a double take when I saw this tiny article about Breastfeeding and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Some investigators at Boston University studied a group of children whose average ages were 13. The 102 children were hospitalized at two different hospitals in Boston for traumatic injuries including burns, motor vehicle accidents, gunshot wounds and […]
Ritalin Helps Drivers with ADHD
Dr. Joris C. Verster at University of Utrecht in the Netherlands conducted a study and discovered that Ritalin significantly improved the driving skills of patients with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). They used a pool of 18 people ages 21-30 and compared their driving skills on and off of their medication. Off medication, they were […]
Is Iraq War Causing Mental Illness?
A study lead by Dr. Karen H. Seal of University of California, San Francisco found that 25% of the 100,000 veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan as of November 2005 were diagnosed with a mental disorder. This study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (2007:167 pp 476-82). The most common diagnosis was Post-Traumatic […]
Warning When Getting Internet Drugs
The FDA issued a warning about buying medication online. The agency tested several medications including Ambien, Xanax, Lexapro and Ativan and determined they were contaminated with the drug Haldol. Haldol is an antipsychotic medication that can cause a number of side effects, but most notably muscle stiffness or other movement disorders. In fact, the FDA […]
Supreme Court Overturns Death Sentences of Mentally Ill
In April 2007, The US Supreme Court overturned the death sentences of three Texas men convicted of murder. Their sentences were thrown out by a 5-4 decision because it was the court’s opinion that the juries were not able to consider relevant information about their mental histories that could have been used to lessen their […]
Stuttering: New Developments in the Cause
Stuttering affects 1% of children before puberty and decreases to 0.8% in adolescence (source Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). It can be very debilitating for some leading to years of shame and embarrassment. In 98% of cases the onset of stuttering is before age 10 and research estimates are less specific about recovery […]